Asked on Oct 09, 2018
How can I best change a steep staircase into a safer one?
by
Donna
+11
We are buying an older house that has a very steep staircase into the finished basement. The treads are less than 7 inches deep, and there are only 9 steps where one would expect 13 steps, so the risers are taller than on a usual staircase which makes this staircase especially dangerous. We need advice on how to safely change the existing staircase into a better and safer one. Closing is on Nov. 5, 2018, and this is probably the first project we would like to do as soon as possible.
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Hi Donna! We did repair/replace a cellar staircase in our old fixer upper. Unfortunately, due to where the large beam was over the stairs, we didn't have the skillset to do more than rebuild it so that it was safer and sturdy. I would involve a contractor who does stair installation, and see how it could be safely rebuilt. If you do this project I would love to see a posting of it, so I could learn from the process. On another note, you can buy precut parts for a stair rebuild. Just make sure you have safe headroom above the steps.
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-steep-interior-stairs-bigger-96844.html
https://www.hunker.com/12614843/how-do-i-fix-my-stairs-that-are-dangerously-steep
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-narrow-stairs-wider-20141.html
I'd call a carpenter. The biggest thing is the head room of staircase opening and roo.at bottom if you need to make a turn
Did you have a home inspector and did he/she mention the steps. Bring this up to your Realtor and attorney. Ask for their advise. Those steps are not code. The seller should remedy the situation before closing or offer a credit at closing that you are happy with. You can shake up the deal. You will have a final walk through a day before or the day of closing to make sure everything is in order. You can bring attention to the stairs then if a solution isn't made before closing. The stringers would need to be replaced with new risers and treads. It's possible there wasn't room for standard stringers, risers, and treads to be installed.
I had buyers that noticed a light fixture was replace during the final walk through on the morning of closing. They refused to close if the original fixture was not put back. The seller removed the fixture which was a gift and put back an old fixture that was originally there. The seller wanted to keep his "gifted" light fixture with no remedy and my buyers were ready to walk away from the closing table. So I slapped $20 bucks on the table told the sellers what they did was illegal and told my buyers they were going to lose a home over a light fixture. Everyone was shocked, especially the attorneys. Everybody sat back down and the closing completed. After the closing the sellers agent approached me handed my $20 back which no one touched.
You did your homework. What you would need is remove everything and start from scratch. New stingers. risers and treads. The new stringers would attach exactly like the old ones. Then the risers and treads. Headroom would remain the same but you have plans to remedy that. The only thing different is that the staircase would be longer into the basement. Great articles from Betty.
Take the threads off and make larger ones about 10 inches
I think the best thing to do is start over, with an all-new staircase. There are many companies/carpenters that do this sort of work. If you want just safe access, you can get stairs made of less expensive/glamorous, but still sturdy and attractive woods. You can't be too careful when it comes to stairs.